Stroke Outcomes in Mexican Americans

Lynda D. Lisabeth, PhD Interim Chair and Associate Professor Department of Epidemiology University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MichiganMedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Lynda D. Lisabeth, PhD
Interim Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Lisabeth: The main findings were that Mexican Americans scored worse than non-Hispanic whites on all outcomes measured at 90 days following stroke, including neurologic, functional and cognitive outcomes, after adjustment for confounding factors. Further, we found that one-third of Mexican American stroke survivors have post-stroke dementia. Mexican Americans experienced more aphasia than non-Hispanic whites. Levels of functional impairment were substantial, with Mexican Americans on average experiencing moderate functional disability. Mexican Americans reported significantly greater difficulty than non-Hispanic whites with all activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) that were studied.

MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Lisabeth: At the start of the study we were not entirely sure what to expect. We had previously demonstrated that Mexican Americans were more likely to survive following stroke than non-Hispanic whites and we thought that this might be at the expense of more disability. On the other hand, Mexican Americans are younger when they have their strokes than non-Hispanic whites which might have suggested better outcomes than non-Hispanic whites.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Lisabeth: This study is the first to provide information on the prognosis of Mexican American stroke survivors, information that is useful to both clinicians, patients and families.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Lisabeth:  Given that ethnic differences in outcomes persisted after accounting for a large number of possible explanatory variables, we need further research to understand why Mexican Americans have worse outcomes.  Post-stroke rehabilitation and informal caregiving are important factors that should be considered in future research that aims to better understand stroke outcomes in Mexican Americans.

Citation:

Neurological, Functional, and Cognitive Stroke Outcomes in Mexican Americans

Lynda D. Lisabeth, Brisa N. Sánchez, Jonggyu Baek, Lesli E. Skolarus, Melinda A. Smith, Nelda Garcia, Devin L. Brown, and Lewis B. Morgenstern

Stroke. 2014;STROKEAHA.113.003912published online before print March 13 2014, doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.113.003912

Last Updated on March 19, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD